Process and means for replacement of components and/or operating media in encapsulated installations

ABSTRACT

An encapsulated installation comprises A. AN AIRLOCK FOR THE UPTAKE OF COMPONENTS FOR THE INSTALLATION, WHICH AIRLOCK IS SEALABLE FROM AN ENCAPSULATED SPACE OF THE INSTALLATION, AND FROM THE SURROUNDINGS, B. A MANIPULATING MEANS EXTENDING INTO THE AIR LOCK AND OPERABLE FROM THE SURROUNDING, C. A REMOVABLE PRESSURE-TIGHT SEPARATING MEANS OPERABLE FROM THE SURROUNDINGS AND LOCATED BETWEEN THE AIRLOCK AND THE ENCAPSULATED SPACE, D. MEANS FOR EVACUATING THE AIR LOCK, AND FOR ACHIEVING PRESSURE EQUALISATION BETWEEN THE AIRLOCK AND THE SURROUNDINGS AND E. MEANS FOR EQUALISING THE PRESSURE BETWEEN THE AIRLOCK AND THE ENCAPSULATED SPACE. A process is provided using the installation to replace elements of the apparatus installed in the encapsulated space.

United States Patent 1191 1 Sept. 11, 1973 I PROCESS AND MEANs FOR REPLACEMENT 0F COMPONENTS AND/0R OPERATING MEDIA IN ENCAPSULATEI) INSTALLATIONS [75] inventor: Jacky Bill, Birsfelden, Near Basie,

Switzerland [73] Assignee: Emil Haefely &-cie AG, Basie, Switzerland [22] Filed: Nov. 25, 1970 I21 Appl. N0.: 92,825

[52] U.S. Cl 29/200 1), 29/203 V, 29/401,

316/28, 61/83 [51] lint. Cl B23p 19/00, 1323p 19/04 [58] Field of Search 29/426, DIG. 44,

29/203 V, 200 D, 4'Ol; 49/61, 68; 61/83;

11/1962 Trax.. 316/2 10/1968 57 ABSTRACT An encapsulated installation comprises a. an airlock for the uptake of components for the installation, which airlock is scalable from an encapsulated space of the installation, and from the surroundings,

b. a manipulating means extending into the air lock and operable from the surrounding,

c. a removable pressure-tight separating means operable from the surroundings and ,located between the airlock and the encapsulated space,

(:1. means for evacuating the air lock, and for achieving pressure equalisation. between the airlock and the surroundings and e. means for equalising the pressure between the airlock and the encapsulated space. A process is provided using theinstallation to replace elements of the apparatus installed in the encapsulated space.

9 Claims, 1 Drawing Figure Weideman 316/2 I NVENTOR. JACK Y BIL L K KM AG ENT PROCESS AND MEANS FOR REPLACEMENT OF COMPONENTS AND/R OPERATING MEDIA IN ENCAPSULATED INSTALLATIONS The present invention relates to a process and means for replacement of components and/or operating media in encapsulated installations, especially in accelerators and other high voltage installations.

It is often necessary to use components or auxiliary means of limited life in encapsulated high-voltage installations, in particular in particle accelerators. It also happens, that containers adjusted at high voltage, must, from time to time, be replenished with medium necessary for their function.

The interchange of such components and/or the replenishment of media of the above-mentioned type, requires considerable expense of time and labour in encapsulated installations which, in by far the most frequent cases, are filled for insulation purposes with a gaseous or liquid insulating medium. Usually the insulating medium must be temporarily stored in a storage tank, and the installation must at least be partially opened so that the intended treatment can be carried out. Then the encapsulation must be established again, and the insulating medium must be pumped back from the said storage tank back into the installation.

Including the drying or special treatment of the insulating medium which is usually necessary, a time of several days must be calculated for these operations in larger installations, whereas the actual replacement of the worn-out components requires only a very short time. The above mentioned replacement process is hence, very time-consuming as a result of the necessary treatment of the insulating medium. I

Hitherto there has been little possibility of replacing worn-out components while maintaining the operating conditions in respect of the insulating medium in the installation. It is therefore the object of the present invention to propose an arrangement by means of which, in an installation which has preferably been electrically discharged but is nevertheless maintained in working condition, components or operating-media to be replaced from under the insulating medium, can 'be quickly replaced while maintaining operating conditions of the insulatingmedium, I

The invention is characterised by:

a. an airlock for the uptake of components for the in stallation, which airlock is sealable' from an encapsulated space of the installation, and from the surroundings, I

b. a manipulating means extending into the airlock and operable'from the surrounding,

c. a removable pressure-tight separating means operable from the surroundings and located .between the airlock and the encapsulated space,

d. means for evacuating the airlock, and for achieving pressure equalisation between the airlock and the surroundings, and e. means for equalisingthe pressure between the air.-

lock and the encapsulated space. In the following, the invention is illustrated with reference to the accompanying drawing, by a working example in the form of a contrivance for the replacement of an insert in the cathode-revolver in an encapsulated electron-accelerator, which operates in an atmosphere of gas under pressure.

In the drawing, 1 denotes the casing of a pressure vessel or pressure tank, in which an electron-accelerator I generally denoted by the numeral 2, of which the upper part nessary to illustrate the invention is schematically represented. The upper end of the pressure vessel possesses a sealing lid 3, which is screwed tight against the casing l.

The working embodiment of the contrivance shown in the drawing represents a form in which the largest part of its constituent parts are constructed on a structural member of the installation itself, in the present case the lid 3. This working embodiment is moreover very suitable for the simplification of the illustration. It will be clear to the man skilled in the art, after taking account of the following description, that the contrivance generally denoted by the numeral 4 with the employment of additional apparatus can also be used in installation in which a permanent structure, for any reason, appears undesirable. To'em'phasize this possibility the part 3, referred to above as the lid, will hereinafter be referred to as the base plate of the contrivance.

Above a substantially central opening 5 in the base plate 3 there is demountably arranged an airlock 6 defined by a housing 6. The airlock which can, at will, be subjected to pressure or vacuum, can be closed by a shutter 7. The shutter lies on the underside of the base-plate 3, which completely covers the opening 5. Theshutter 7 can be fixed tightly in the opening 5 and moved away therefrom by means of a pressure and swing arrangement 8, whose actuating shaft 9 extends in a pressure-tight manner through the base plate 3. A manipulator 10 extends through a sealing means generally denoted by the numeral 11 from the outside to the inside of the airlock 6'. The manipulator in the sealing means 11 which is only schematically represented, can be swung in the direction denoted by the arrow A, and is rotatable about its axis, and is slidable in a vertical directionthat its uptake part 12 at the lower end of the manipulator column 13 can be easily connected with the connecting pieces to be operated by it in the installation to be operated. .The manipulator column 13 possesses a central bore 14 which can advantageously be used for the application of a vacuum to the attachment portion 12, the said bore being connected, near the upper end of the column, with a flexible conduit 15. At

theupper end of the said column, there is provided a manipulator handle 16, by means of which the column can be operated in the above mentioned manner. The manipulator column 13, can, optionally in connection with the sealing. means 11, be means (not shown).

The airlock 6 is connected with a distributing point 19 by means of connecting supports 17 at the end" of the conduit 17 and a valve 18. A device for replenishing the'said working medium, or a vacuum pump 21 can at will, be connected at 20 to the distributing point 19. Instead, a pressure pump, or a bottle of compressed gas, can, for example be attached, in manner not shown, via a pressure-reducing valve to the distributing point 19. The distributing point'19 can be, as shown, an electrically operated 3-way valve.

The numeral 22 denotes a lighting apparatus, mounted in a pressure-tight manner, on the base-plate 3. This serves to light up the part of the installation which is to be operated by the manipulator." A view ing glass 23 is provided, by means of which the spatially correct setting of the uptake-part 12 of the manipulator-column 13 can be observed. The numeral 24 deprovided with a stop notes a by-pass conduit between the interior of the airlock 6 and the inner-room 25 of the installation (in the present case the interior of the pressure-housing 1 which surrounds the electron-accelerator 2). Built in the said by-pass conduit, is a valve 26 which is normally kept closed.

The function of the parts and apparatus described above, is illustrated in the following with reference to an example of installation in which a cathode insert 29 shown in broken lines and not shown in detail, for example as a result of wearing out in use, has to be replaced, this insert 29 being demountably installed in the cathode revolver 28 fixed in the cathode space 27 of an electron accelerator 2.

In this explanation we have assumed that an excess pressure as compared with its surroundings, is maintained in the space 25. The shutter 7 closes the opening 5 pressure-tight, and the airlock 6 might contain, some air for example owing to leaks in the packing 11 or in the valves 18 and 30. The valve 18 in the conduit 17 to the airlock 6 and also the valve 30 in the flexible conduit 15 leading to the manipulator 10, are closed, and at the point a vacuum pump, for example the pump 21, might be connected.

Firstly the above-mentioned air containing intermediate chamber 6 is evacuated by the vacuum pump (e.g. the pump 21, which does not need to be a permanent constituent of the contrivance) connected through the conduits 17, 17, 18, 19 and 20. When a predetermined vacuum has been attained in the airlock 6, the previously opened valve 18 is closed again. Then pressure equalisation is carried out by opening the valve 26 is the by-pass conduit 24 between'the inner space 25 of the installation and the airlock 6. In this condition, the shutter 7 can be released from the opening 5 by means of the apparatus 8 and allowed to swing sideways so that the whole cross-section of the opening is unobstructed. Now the manipulator 10 can be intro: duced into the space 25 through the opening 5 in the base-plate 3, so that its attachment portion 12 at the end of the manipulator column 13 can be attached to the predetermined part of the electron-accelerator 2. It should be understood, that for this purpose the attachment portion 12 shown only schematically in the drawing, can be equipped with a number of gadgets corresponding to the particular purpose for which it is being used.

Before the further movement of the manipulator 10 is begun, it is necessary to orient it over some specific details of the electron accelerator which is shown schematically.

The already mentioned cathode space 27 together with the accelerator tube 31 is maintained under high vacuum. in the upper part of the accelerator tube 31, immediately below the cathode space 27 a valve 32 is built in, which can be operatedby means of an operating column 33. The cathode-revolver which contains the replaceable cathode-inserts 29 is actuated by a shaft 34, which extends in a vacuum-tight manner through a cover plate 35 on the insulating-housing 36 which surrounds the cathode space 27. The shaft 34 is driven by a motor 37, which is connected to the said shaft by a drive-means 38. The motor 37 is swingably supported by a support 39. A device for the exact positioning of the cathode-revolver in relation to the beam axis 41, is coupled with an element of the drivemeans 38 which is rigidly connected with the shaft 34.

The said device 40 co-operates with a stationary stopmeans 42, which is mounted on a support which can swing out and away. The insertion of the cathode inserts is carried out at least in part from the conduits 44 leading out of the cathode-space 27 which can be evacuated in a manner hereinafter to be described via a vacuum conduit 45 which leads via a valve 46 to a connecting head 47.

Since, as has already been mentioned, the space 25 is maintained at a predetermined super-atmospheric pressure, and since the production of the high-vacuum in the cathode and in the accelerator tube involves considerable expense of time, it is attempted to release the vacuum in only a relatively small volume when changing the worn-out cathode inserts 29. For this object there is provided a valve 32 which is closed immediately after the above-mentioned swinging out of the shutter 7, after the fixing of the attachment portion 12 of the manipulator means 10 on to the connecting member 48 at the upper end of the operating column 33. By moving the column 33 while closing the valve 32, the supports 39 and 43 were simultaneously swung out and thereby the motor 37 and the stop device 42 are disconnected from the respective complimentary elements 38 and 40 connected with the shaft 34. Likewise the cathode conduits 44 were disconnected, and at the same time a lever 49, which closes the access to the connecting head 47 and is connected with the support 39, is swung away. In this manner the operation of the valve 46 is released. The closure device 50 carries at its end a screen 51, and at its other end is fastened to the valve-shaft 52; On opening the valve 46, the closure-lever 50 is swung out and the connecting member 54 is made accessible.

Afterwards, after the closing of the valve 32, the electron injection system has been separated" from the accelerator tube, the equalisation of the pressure in the space 27, with that in the space 25 can be carried out. This is accomplished by fixing the attachment portion 12 of the manipulator 10 on to the connecting head 47, which contains gripping elements for performing the translational and rotational movement for opening the valve 46. When the pressure equalisation has been accomplished, and the securing elements (not shown) for the cover-plate 35 have been removed, the whole of the assembly consisting of the cathode-revolver 28 (together with inserts 29), the shaft 34, the cover-plate 35 and the driving wheel 38, can be lifted, by securing the attachment portion 12 to the connecting member 54 at the upper end of the shaft into the airlock 6. It should be understood that for this purpose the latter (the airlock) must be tall enough to accommodate the whole of the said assembly. Likewise, it is clear that the size of the opening 5, must be large enough for the greatest cross-sectional diameter of the assembly to be lifted to pass through it. The accessible-making operation described can be observed from outside the whole time through one or more observation windows 23, while the space 27 is adequately lit by the illuminating apparatus 22.

Then the shutter 7 is brought to close the opening 5 and made pressure-tight. The pressure now in the intermediate chamber 6 is still the same superatmospheric pressure which prevails in the space 25. Therefore, the valve 18 is opened and pressure equalisation, with the surroundings is carried out through the distribution point 19, whose connecting supports at 20 are released base plate 3. The columns 56 can be permanently connected to the base-plate and be so formed that they may be latchable to the housing 6 so as to hold it securely.

After the cathode-revolver has been re-equipped with its new insert(s), the housing 6 of the airlock is again screwed on to the base plate 3, and its interior evacuated as already described for the removal of the air. Then, pressure equalisation with the space 25 is carried out, either by introducing a compressed gas from outside (via 20, 19, 18, 17 and 17) or by opening the valve 26 in the by-pass 24. As soon as the pressure equalisation has been attained the valve 18 or 26 is closed and the shutter 7 removed from and swung out from the opening 5 using the pressure-and-swing arrangement 8. The cathode-revolver assembly 28, 29, 34, 35, 38, 40 attached to the manipulator i0 is then lowered into the cathode space 27 and then connected to the fixed parts of the installation by operations in the reverse order to those described above for the dismantling, while the valve 32 above the accelerator tube remains closed until a predetermined vacuum is again reestablished in the cathode space 27.

This vacuum is attained, by maintaining a connection between the space 27 and a vacuum pump (for example the pump 21 which can be attached at via the manipulator 10 (which rests in a vacuum-tight manner on the connecting head 47) until .a high vacuum is achieved in the space 27, When this is done, the valve 46 is closed using the manipulator. The manipulator is then removed from the connecting head 47 and is at tached to the connecting member 48. Then the valve 32 is opened using the operating column 33 and the connections etc. which are connected to the column 33 are brought back again into their positions corresponding to the operating state. Finally the manipulator 10, is brought back into the intermediate chamber 6 and the shutter 7 again closed across the opening 5. Theaccele'rator 2, is again ready for operation, after minor adjustments to the pressure relationships in the space v It is to be understood, that, as mentioned above, the contrivance described, can be formed not only as a permanent erection on an installation to be serviced. If, for example the member (3) which in the example described above served both as a lid for the pressure tank (25) and as a base plate for the contrivance is flanged, it can be fitted on to a particular connecting point of a particular installation, and if this connecting point is provided with an opening covered with a removable closure which can replace and perform all the functions of the shutter 7 then the contrivance described can be attached temporarily to various installations so equipped.

In such cases where the shutter 7 is provided in the installation, there is, of course, no need to duplicate it elsewhere.

I claim:

I. An apparatus comprising in combination:

a. a pressure vessel having components therein;

b. a contrivance for manipulation of said components, said contrivance having an airlock which is sealable from the pressure vessel and from the surroundings;

c. a manipulating means extending into the airlock and operable from the surroundings,

l. the manipulating means including a vacuum con duit which can be connected to a vacuum source;

d. a removable pressure-tight separating means operable from the surroundings and located between the airlock and the pressure vessel;

e. means for evacuating the airlock, with said separating means in sealable position, and for achieving pressure equalization between the air-lock and the surroundings, and

f. means for equalizing the pressure between the airlock and the pressure vessel.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the components are a high voltage installation.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the components are an electron accelerator.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the means for performing pressure equalization between the airlock and the pressure vessel includes a conduit passing through a plate defining an accessible port.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the manipulator is so formed, that its end directed towards the pressure vessel can be swung over the whole cross-section of a port accessible to the pressure vessel. I 6. The apparatus of claim l'wherein the airlock is removable when the separating means is in-closed position over a port to the pressure vessel.

7'. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the airlock is sufficiently large to contain components removed from within the pressure .vessel through a port located between the airlock and the pressure vessel.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein lighting means and viewing means are disposed on the contrivance for providing lighting and viewing within the pressure vessel.

9. An airlock for attachment to a closable opening of a pressure vessel, said airlock being provided with means for equalizing the pressure inside the airlock with the surroundings when the airlock has been sealed by means over the closable opening; means for equalizing the pressure inside the airlock with that'inside the pressure vessel, a manipulating means within the airlock having-a vacuum conduit which extends from the surroundings to the far end of the manipulating means within the airlock, which conduit is closable by a valve, said far end being capable of being thrust through and beyond the opening of the airlock, whereby, at will, a vacuum can be applied at points to which the said far end is attached. 

1. An apparatus comprising in combination: a. a pressure vessel having components therein; b. a contrivance for manipulation of said components, said contrivance having an airlock which is sealable from the pressure vessel and from the surroundings; c. a manipulating means extending into the airlock and operable from the surroundings,
 1. the manipulating means including a vacuum conduit which can be connected to a vacuum source; d. a removable pressure-tight separating means operable from the surroundings and located between the airlock and the pressure vessel; e. means for evacuating the airlock, with said separating means in sealable position, and for achieving pressure equalization between the air-lock and the surroundings, and f. means for equalizing the pressure between the airlock and the pressure vessel.
 2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the components are a high voltage installation.
 3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the components are an electron accelerator.
 4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the means for performing pressure equalization between the airlock and the pressure vessel includes a conduit passing through a plate defining an accessible port.
 5. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the manipulator is so formed, that its end directed towards the pressure vessel can be swung over the whole cross-section of a port accessible to the pressure vessel.
 6. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the airlock is removable when the separating means is in closed position over a port to the pressure vessel.
 7. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the airlock is sufficiently large to contain components removed from within the pressure vessel through a port located between the airlock and the pressure vessel.
 8. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein lighting means and viewing means are disposed on the contrivance for providing lighting and viewing within the pressure vessel.
 9. An airlock for attachment to a closable opening of a pressure vessel, said airlock being provided with means for equalizing the pressure inside the airlock with the surroundings when the airlock has been sealed by means over the closable opening; means for equalizing the pressure inside the airlock with that inside the pressure vessel, a manipulating means within the airlock having a vacuum conduit which extends from the surroundings to the far end of the manipulating means within the airlock, which conduit is closable by a valve, said far end being capable of being thrust through and beyond the opening of the airlock, whereby, at will, a vacuum can be applied at points to which the said far end is attached. 